Labyrinths of Echo
#124.42 adjusted 4.40 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 24 books Status Unfinished 1996–2019 Reading commitment High Max Frei Last reviewed 2026-11-01
Overview
Max Frei is the pen name of Svetlana Martynchik, born in Odesa in 1965 and living in Vilnius. Labyrinths of Echo (1996-2000) is a set of eight volumes of linked novellas about Max, an unlucky man from our world who is invited to the city of Echo and becomes deputy to Sir Juffin Halli in the Small Secret Investigation Corps, which keeps magic from harming the World's Heart. Two sequel cycles share the world. In Chronicles of Echo (2004-2013, eight volumes) Max's friends each tell a story from their own lives. In Dreams of Echo (2014-2019, eight novels) Max returns to a changed Echo after six years away. The publisher's blurb for the last book says it is not the finale; no later Echo volume has been seen.
Comic fantasy, Portal fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (24 works) counts toward ranking
Лабиринты Ехо (Labyrinths of Echo) Max Frei
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Чужак; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: The Stranger. The 1996 first edition was titled Лабиринт. Later editions are split into smaller books (Дебют в Ехо, Жертвы обстоятельств, Путешествие в Кеттари). | 1996 | 1 | core | 4.45 (244 ratings) |
 | Волонтеры вечности; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: Volunteers of Eternity. Contains Магахонские Лисы, Корабль из Арвароха и другие неприятности, Очки Бакки Бугвина and Волонтеры вечности. | 1997 | 2 | core | 4.45 (2,577 ratings) |
 | Простые волшебные вещи; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: Simple Magic Things. The 1997 first edition of this volume was titled Тёмная сторона; the titles of this volume and the next were later exchanged. Contains Тень Гугимагона and Простые волшебные вещи. | 1997 | 3 | core | 4.44 (2,203 ratings) |
 | Темная сторона; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: The Dark Side. The 1997 first edition of this volume was titled Вершитель. Contains Темные вассалы Гленке Тавала and Дорот - Повелитель Манухов. | 1997 | 4 | core | 4.49 (2,130 ratings) |
 | Наваждения; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: Delusions (Enchantments). Contains Зеленые воды Ишмы and Сладкие Грезы Гравви. | 1997 | 5 | core | 4.48 (1,905 ratings) |
 | Власть несбывшегося; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: Power of the Unfulfilled. Contains Возвращение Угурбадо and Гугландские топи. | 1998 | 6 | core | 4.47 (1,724 ratings) |
 | Болтливый мертвец; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: The Talkative Dead Man. Contains Тайна Клуба Дубовых Листьев, Болтливый мертвец, Наследство для Лонли-Локли and Книга огненных страниц, with a short preface. | 1999 | 7 | core | 4.47 (1,569 ratings) |
 | Лабиринт Мёнина; Collection of linked novellas, recorded here as one published volume. English title: The Labyrinth of Menin. Contains Белые камни Харумбы, Лабиринт Мёнина and Тихий Город, with a short epilogue. | 2000 | 8 | core | 4.47 (1,795 ratings) |
Eight volumes of linked novellas following Sir Max in the Secret Investigation Corps of Echo, 1996-2000.
Хроники Ехо (Chronicles of Echo) Max Frei
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Чуб земли; Volume of two novellas (Чуб земли and Туланский детектив), recorded as one published volume. English title: Chub of the Earth. The rating shown is for the listing titled Чуб земли. Туланский детектив. | 2004 | 1 | core | 4.26 (1,050 ratings) |
 | Властелин Морморы; English title: Lord of Mormora. Subtitle: История, рассказанная сэром Джуффином Халли. | 2005 | 2 | core | 4.31 (866 ratings) |
 | Неуловимый Хабба Хэн; English title: The Elusive Habba Hen. Subtitle: История, рассказанная сэром Максом из Ехо. | 2005 | 3 | core | 4.42 (928 ratings) |
 | Ворона на мосту; English title: The Crow on the Bridge. Subtitle: История, рассказанная сэром Шурфом Лонли-Локли. | 2006 | 4 | core | 4.49 (961 ratings) |
 | Горе господина Гро; English title: Mr. Gro's Grief. Subtitle: История, рассказанная сэром Кофой Йохом. | 2007 | 5 | core | 4.36 (802 ratings) |
 | Обжора-хохотун; English title: The Glutton-Laugher. Subtitle: История, рассказанная сэром Мелифаро. | 2010 | 6 | core | 4.35 (722 ratings) |
 | Дар Шаванахолы; English title: The Gift of Shavanahola. Subtitle: История, рассказанная сэром Максом из Ехо. The first printing appeared in December 2011 with a 2012 imprint date. | 2011 | 7 | core | 4.44 (741 ratings) |
 | Тубурская игра; English title: The Tubur Game. Subtitle: История, рассказанная Нумминорихом Кутой. | 2013 | 8 | core | 4.44 (621 ratings) |
Eight volumes in which Max's friends and colleagues each narrate a story from their own lives, 2004-2013.
Сновидения Ехо (Dreams of Echo) Max Frei
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Мастер ветров и закатов | 2014 | 1 | core | 4.28 (651 ratings) |
 | Слишком много кошмаров | 2015 | 2 | core | 4.10 (556 ratings) |
 | Вся правда о нас | 2015 | 3 | core | 4.39 (540 ratings) |
 | Я иду искать | 2016 | 4 | core | 4.37 (475 ratings) |
 | Сундук мертвеца | 2017 | 5 | core | 4.37 (434 ratings) |
 | Отдай мое сердце | 2017 | 6 | core | 4.34 (363 ratings) |
 | Мертвый ноль | 2018 | 7 | core | 4.35 (314 ratings) |
 | Так берегись; Not the final book of the cycle according to its publisher's blurb. Includes the short story Я ничего не знаю про Агату. | 2019 | 8 | core | 4.09 (267 ratings) |
Eight novels in which Max returns to a changed Echo, 2014-2019.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Labyrinths of Echo? Labyrinths of Echo's Core Canon is 24 books.
- What is the reading order for Labyrinths of Echo? Publication order, starting with Чужак. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Labyrinths of Echo finished? Unfinished (1996–2019).
- How much reading does Labyrinths of Echo take? High reading commitment (estimated from 24 Core Canon books).
- How is Labyrinths of Echo ranked? #12 in this site's official ranking, based on 24,438 reader ratings across 24 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #12?
Ranked #12 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.42 across 24 core books.
- A smaller readership (24,438 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 4.09 to 4.49.
- Less than 0.01 behind #11, A Song of Ice and Fire (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Top-tier rated · 24 books · Unfinished · 24k ratings · Ranks #12 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running comic fantasy universe.
Reading order
Publication order (24 Core Canon books)
- Чужак (1996)
- Волонтеры вечности (1997)
- Наваждения (1997)
- Простые волшебные вещи (1997)
- Темная сторона (1997)
- Власть несбывшегося (1998)
- Болтливый мертвец (1999)
- Лабиринт Мёнина (2000)
- Чуб земли (2004)
- Властелин Морморы (2005)
- Неуловимый Хабба Хэн (2005)
- Ворона на мосту (2006)
- Горе господина Гро (2007)
- Обжора-хохотун (2010)
- Дар Шаванахолы (2011)
- Тубурская игра (2013)
- Мастер ветров и закатов (2014)
- Вся правда о нас (2015)
- Слишком много кошмаров (2015)
- Я иду искать (2016)
- Отдай мое сердце (2017)
- Сундук мертвеца (2017)
- Мертвый ноль (2018)
- Так берегись (2019)
Documented internal/story order
- Чужак (1996)
- Чуб земли (2004)
- Мастер ветров и закатов (2014)
- Волонтеры вечности (1997)
- Властелин Морморы (2005)
- Слишком много кошмаров (2015)
- Простые волшебные вещи (1997)
- Неуловимый Хабба Хэн (2005)
- Вся правда о нас (2015)
- Темная сторона (1997)
- Ворона на мосту (2006)
- Я иду искать (2016)
- Наваждения (1997)
- Горе господина Гро (2007)
- Сундук мертвеца (2017)
- Власть несбывшегося (1998)
- Обжора-хохотун (2010)
- Отдай мое сердце (2017)
- Болтливый мертвец (1999)
- Дар Шаванахолы (2011)
- Мертвый ноль (2018)
- Лабиринт Мёнина (2000)
- Тубурская игра (2013)
- Так берегись (2019)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Labyrinths of Echo and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Dragaera Sword & sorcery / Comic fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.12
- Christopher Moore's Shared World Comic fantasy / Urban fantasy · Unfinished · High commitment · 3.99
- Erdwelt Epic fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.75
- The Land of Stories Portal fantasy / Fairy-tale retelling · Complete · High commitment · 4.36
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.42 across 24,438 ratings on 24 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: The Novels of Charles Williams, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, The Deer and the Cauldron, Legendele Țării lui Vam, Guild Hunter, The Heroic Legend of Arslan and Labyrinths of Echo; open ratings filled accepted 2026-11-01
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- AST: Max Frei, full guide to the books Tier 2
- FantLab: Мир Ехо и приключения Макса (cycle page) Tier 2
- English Wikipedia: Max Frei Tier 2
- FantLab: Хроники Ехо Tier 2
- FantLab: Сновидения Ехо Tier 2
- FantLab: Лабиринты Ехо Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01
Rule: Core Canon = the eight Labyrinths of Echo volumes (Чужак, 1996, to Лабиринт Мёнина, 2000), the eight Chronicles of Echo volumes (Чуб земли, 2004, to Тубурская игра, 2013) and the eight Dreams of Echo novels (Мастер ветров и закатов, 2014, to Так берегись, 2019); each linked-novella volume counts as one book, and reference books, the Encyclopedia of Myths and the Max-related works set outside Echo are excluded.